Maybe somebody can answer me this not actually condescending question that is going to sound condescending... why max out every asterisk? You can only have 2 job abilities at once and like 2-4 skills depending on how they cost. I maxed out like 5 useful asterisks and stopped and beat the game.

The Freelancer job gets stronger the more jobs you master, no? I dunno if it's actually noticeable/worth it, but its there.

Yes, each stat goes up 1% for each job mastered.

Doesn't weapon proficiency stay at a satisfactory "B" though?(those "weapon mastery" skills feels like a waste of good space too)

Maybe somebody can answer me this not actually condescending question that is going to sound condescending... why max out every asterisk? You can only have 2 job abilities at once and like 2-4 skills depending on how they cost. I maxed out like 5 useful asterisks and stopped and beat the game.

Personally, I did it so I can experiment for the "fun" factor of abilities in battle. Each ability has a description when you scroll over the feature as you know, (I don't know if my experience was the same for other players) but I just liked experimenting with the gameplay when I stacked certain job abilities so they could play off or enhance a given player's attack magical or physical based on the buff from another player.

Hasten World + Rampant was actually good to use, judging Victor kept using Moderation to recover BP points under the negative. I defeated them on my second try, but I was so close to the first try until my party was weakened enough for Bone Crush to crush my party bones fatally. (Speed is good, people!)

Maybe somebody can answer me this not actually condescending question that is going to sound condescending... why max out every asterisk? You can only have 2 job abilities at once and like 2-4 skills depending on how they cost. I maxed out like 5 useful asterisks and stopped and beat the game.

The Freelancer job gets stronger the more jobs you master, no? I dunno if it's actually noticeable/worth it, but its there.

Yes, each stat goes up 1% for each job mastered.

Doesn't weapon proficiency stay at a satisfactory "B" though?(those "weapon mastery" skills feels like a waste of good space too)

As it is, the Freelancer is a mediocre job at best. If it had even one "A" ranked proficiency though, it would've been one of the best jobs in the game.

But there are plenty of other reasons why you'd want to at least dabble in certain jobs. Time Mage, for instance, confers the useful Stop Immunity support ability which is the only status effect in the game that the Ribbon does not protect against. Pirates have P.Atk +20% and Equip Axes which are really useful for your damage dealer for the latter half of the main game (pre Endless Eight). Red Mages get a bunch of really useful +BP support abilities and having a second White Magic user around isn't too shabby either. Monks are one of the most ridiculous classes for the Endless Eight and post game sequences. Ninjas have Utsusemi and abilities that combo with that, also Kairai for getting Genome abilities easier. Rangers have Bow access which are really good weapons for the middle of the main game. White Mages are really self-explanatory. Thieves are good in tandem with Salve-Makers. Spell Blade isn't too bad and has odd things like Memento for your easier to kill units and Auto-Aspil Blade which are both good for MP restoration for your magic users (at least until you start unlocking those MP Healing traits for your Staff Special). Merchant is nice if you want to have Money now or a way to up your attacker's Crit Rate. Valkyrie/Einheriars' Crescent Moon is the first ability for physical attackers to obtain the Sweeper bonus and their Judgment is a good boss killer move early on if you can set it up right. And the Chapter 4+ jobs are all really good in one way or another.

Generally speaking, there's something that somebody wants somewhere and its just easier to experiment when you have all the abilities.

Maybe somebody can answer me this not actually condescending question that is going to sound condescending... why max out every asterisk? You can only have 2 job abilities at once and like 2-4 skills depending on how they cost. I maxed out like 5 useful asterisks and stopped and beat the game.

The Freelancer job gets stronger the more jobs you master, no? I dunno if it's actually noticeable/worth it, but its there.

Yes, each stat goes up 1% for each job mastered.

Doesn't weapon proficiency stay at a satisfactory "B" though?(those "weapon mastery" skills feels like a waste of good space too)

As it is, the Freelancer is a mediocre job at best. If it had even one "A" ranked proficiency though, it would've been one of the best jobs in the game.

Pretty sure Freelancer-Performer is the best way to generate BP though.

Maybe somebody can answer me this not actually condescending question that is going to sound condescending... why max out every asterisk? You can only have 2 job abilities at once and like 2-4 skills depending on how they cost. I maxed out like 5 useful asterisks and stopped and beat the game.

The Freelancer job gets stronger the more jobs you master, no? I dunno if it's actually noticeable/worth it, but its there.

Yes, each stat goes up 1% for each job mastered.

Doesn't weapon proficiency stay at a satisfactory "B" though?(those "weapon mastery" skills feels like a waste of good space too)

As it is, the Freelancer is a mediocre job at best. If it had even one "A" ranked proficiency though, it would've been one of the best jobs in the game.

Pretty sure Freelancer-Performer is the best way to generate BP though.

Sure, it's got utility, but you can't Mimic Rage which leaves your potential damage output for the job kinda middling without having to burn a support ability slot on a Weapon Lore skill.

Also, you don't want to put Performer on your Freelancer since you can't really Mime yourself (especially in the way this game handles turns). I suppose making your Freelancer sub either White Mage or Time Mage would probably be the most useful set up for the character in question given the job's final stats being huge and not needing offense with the Holy One support ability.

Yesterday, after a half an hour of endurance, I defeated New Year's Kamiizumi! It was all about using Rampart and Hasten World (which forces him to avoid using his counter moves and instead keep casting Susano-o and a simple attack), while flinging magic spells from two party members and Agnes being the healer Salve-maker. Damn fight took a dangerous turn when the boss changed his strategy halfway through. Still, I got my Unearthly Bun.

EDIT: Today's SQEX's Nemesis is a laughable easy fight...that can give you an Unearthly Bun. I better keep this to send it multiple times.

Buh? Of course you can mime yourself. Freelancer/performer is great. Use the skill that gives everyone a BP, then mime it 3 times.

Its great when you face boss mobs where Hasten World just hastens your death.

Allow me to rephrase that, you're not going to get much mileage out of a Freelancer/Performer combo when your Freelancer has to pay 3 Brave to use the "everyone else gets +1 BP" song and then -1 BP for every Mimic thereafter (at Brave 0, you'll get at most +2 Brave before the Performer hits -4 BP).

Buh? Of course you can mime yourself. Freelancer/performer is great. Use the skill that gives everyone a BP, then mime it 3 times.

Its great when you face boss mobs where Hasten World just hastens your death.

Allow me to rephrase that, you're not going to get much mileage out of a Freelancer/Performer combo when your Freelancer has to pay 3 Brave to use the "everyone else gets +1 BP" song and then -1 BP for every Mimic thereafter (at Brave 0, you'll get at most +2 Brave before the Performer hits -4 BP).

Really? Because that is actually one of the components for the limitless silent world (or w/e the invincibility move is called) cheese that I used to get through the last chapter side quests. Every other turn your performer/freelancer uses +1BP move/mimic/mimic/mimic. On other turns the performer buffs. As for the only getting +2 , that's actually wrong due to how the game handles BP. You'll go to -3 from using the move, then you'll go to -2 from the move, then -3 from braving, and -2 from mimicking, etc. You'll never actually hit -4 and you can input commands that will send you below -4 BP. So you'll end up at -2 BP on the performer (assuming starting at 0) with the other characters having gained 4. If you throw in hasten world, then you can actually spam out 4 BP every turn (well I guess it would be a constantly regenerating supply of 6 BP total for the other three characters)

I think the takeaway here is that I haven't tried this combo yet (as I have yet to get one of my Performers to master the Freelancer job), and am merely talking out of my ass based upon assumptions via other mechanics (and the fact that a partywide BP+ move also affecting the caster is a fucking ridiculous concept).

So... after my run-in with Salamander this morning, can I assume you're not actually *supposed* to pursue the Vampire side quest in Chapter 4?

It is doable in Chapter 4. The six of them were more of a pain for me than that quests final boss. Despite how a lot of their attacks look, they are all physical, making skills like rampart and protect really useful. This is from memory but I think all six use their elemental weakness attack every three turns. If you have Group cast all you can cast dispel and protect on the whole party rather than one individual. It is a level 14 Black Mage skill but you can use it if one of your friends have it unlocked or you have gone way overboard on the grinding.

You can also use a cheaper method like 4 ninjas using Utsuemi and counter. It won't even be able to hit you.